I am writing to you as a psychiatric physician and as your constituent to urge you to support HR 2356, legislation sponsored by Representatives Cardin and Shaw to remedy problems with Medicare’s physician payment update.

As you know, because of flaws in the way Medicare calculates its update through the “Sustainable Growth Rate”(SGR), physician payments face steep reductions in 2006 and beyond. The projected update reduction will have a direct impact on delivery of care to Medicare beneficiaries. Congress has postponed previously scheduled reductions, which I deeply appreciate, but unless problems with the underlying formula are addressed, physicians and other health professionals will continue to face major reductions every year.

HR 2356 would resolve the problem by making permanent changes in the SGR, and by replacing the projected 2006 payment cut with a positive update of + 2.7 percent. I strongly support the efforts of Representatives Cardin and Shaw to resolve the underlying formula problem so that Medicare beneficiaries may continue to have access to health care of the highest quality. I hope you will cosponsor HR/S.

Message sent to the following recipients:Res. Com. FortunoMessage text follows:

Nestor J Galarza DiazPOB 33113San Juan, PR 00933

July 2, 2005

[recipient address was inserted here]

Dear [recipient name was inserted here],

As a psychiatric physician and your constituent, I want to urge you to cosponsor and speak for H.R. 3151 to remove the statutory ban on Medicare Part D coverage of benzodiazepines. These medications are commonly and safely used to treat a variety of medical conditions, including anxiety, panic attacks, and seizures. There is no valid clinical reason that these drugs were excluded from the new drug benefit. Please cosponsor this important bill.

Estas son algunas de las ventajas para los residentes y estudiantes de medicina cuando se unen a la Asociación Psiquiatrica Americana. • New Members-in-Training (and MS members advancing to MIT status) who join or advance between January and June will receive a waiver for the calendar dues year in which they join or advance. • • MITs joining or advancing between July and December will receive a waiver for the remainder of the calendar dues year, plus the following calendar dues year.________________________________________From: Nestor J Galarza [mailto:nesile@caribe.net] Sent: Friday, July 01, 2005 3:46 PMTo: 'Lelis Nazario (lelis@prdigital.com)'; Ana I Torres Martin (ANAI1715@HOTMAIL.COM)Subject: Emailing: 21-a

More information about the 100% Club is available from Nancy Delanoche of APA's Division of Education and Career Development at (703) 907-8635. Programs that are interested in signing up all their residents should also contact Delanoche.